Author: sick skills

It’s that time of the year again when we Brits squint at our DAY / MONTH / YEAR calendar formation and try to see the ‘MAR10’ hidden inside. Yes, MAR10 Day is once again here, and it’s a particularly noteworthy one this time, being the 10th year that Nintendo has marked the occasion and the series’ 40th anniversary.

Nintendo’s celebrating in an unexpectedly flashy way with a couple of new trailers for Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition and Yoshi and the Mysterious Book (with a release date), a LEGO set, NSO drops and a Nintendo Music upload following yesterday’s Mario Galaxy Movie Direct. Given all that, you might be expecting me to follow suit with a similarly optimistic take on the whole affair. But no. It’s time for some cold, hard truths.

In the last two and a half years, an ominous presence has been subtly laying down roots in the background of our prized plumber’s escapades. It started as nothing more than a background blur, but I fear we’ve all been blind to its ever-increasing presence in the months since, and we’re now faced with not just an annoying NPC, but a main character in its own right. Its terrifying motto of growth and forward progression should be enough to send a shiver down anyone’s spine: onward and upward.

I am talking, of course, about the Talking Flower *a clap of thunder and lightning strikes outside*.

Remember back at the reveal for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, when everyone denounced this chatty little tour guide and its constant barrage of commentary? Such protest has been lost in the years since, and where has that left us? With enough game appearances and character merch that a ‘Talking Flower Joins The Fight!’ message for a future Smash Bros. game feels far more real than it has any right to.

The truly scary part about the Talking Flower’s rise to fame is that it’s done so in the shadows, right under the noses of those of us who were quick to click the mute button on its quips back in 2023.

My feelings towards the Talking Flower have always been pretty neutral. I found its inclusion in Wonder to be perfectly harmless (far better than those darn Poplins, at least), though I fully expected it to be a one-and-done deal My surprise stems only from how, right when it seems to have wilted away, another one sprouts up in its place.

It arrived in Wonder, as you’ll no doubt remember, and there were some who even confessed to finding the little fella not quite as annoying as they had first imagined. And thus, the fire was lit. The Talking Flower started popping up in Nintendo Switch Online icons and merchandise. Toy manufacturer San-ei Boeki even rolled out a talking plushie for those who really wanted a little more “WoOoAAhh” in their lives.

Things went quiet in 2024, almost to suggest that the Talking Flower’s time in the limelight had come to an end. Dear reader, it had not.

It returned with a vengeance in 2025. The September Nintendo Direct not only confirmed that it would rebloom in Wonder’s all-new Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup in Bellabel Park, but it would also provide commentary for Mario Tennis Fever, and get another piece of physical talking merch all of its own.

The real kick in the teeth would come in January 2026, however, when Nintendo announced not only that the Talking Flower would be immortalised in amiibo form, but that it would be bundled in with the Captain Toad figure to forever taint an amiibo that we should have had years ago. Oh, the injustice!

And just like that, here we are. Unless Nintendo has some major surprises up its sleeve, we’ll be seeing more merch and game appearances from the Talking Flower in 2026 than we will from Link, Samus, Tom Nook and Captain Olimar combined. Is Talking Flower one of Nintendo’s big five now?

But hey, perhaps I’m alone in this. Perhaps there’s a group out there lobbying for more Talking Flower that I have simply been oblivious to for the past few years. If you’re a part of said group, congratulations, you’re clearly smashing it.

Do you want to see more from the Talking Flower, or has it already had its day? You can let me know which side of the argument you fall on in the following poll.

Are you team Talking Flower? Let us know where you’d like to see it bloom next in the comments.

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Today’s overview trailer for the catchily-titled Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Meetup In Bellabel Park gave us a closer look at all of the newbies coming to the base game, but while our eyes were distracted by new game modes, characters, and boss fights, we almost missed a crossover cameo hiding in the background.

Yes, on closer inspection, the trailer is home to two Glow Pikmin, from the wonderful Pikmin 4. You’ll find them right around the 3:17 mark in the trailer above, chilling in the background of Light Switch Mansion while Rosalina gears up for some platforming.

We’ll drop a screenshot of the moment in question below. We initially thought that we might just be seeing things, but nope, those are definitely Pikmin.

To the best of our knowledge, these little guys didn’t make an appearance in the base Switch 1 game, so they appear to be yet another brand-new addition to the NS2E. Now we’re wondering whether, maybe, we might see other Pikmin types crop up as we play through the game again… that’s certainly enough to make us want to give it another try!

Of all Nintendo’s characters, Pikmin seem to be the only ones with the all-clear to pop up in other franchises. “Mario needs to stay in the Mario universe, or Splatoon needs to stay in Splatoon, and we don’t use different characters in the same place,” Miyamoto told IGN last year, “But Pikmin has this kind of unwritten rule where they’re okay to appear with other characters.”

The little guys have previously cropped up in the likes of Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe‘s Mii costumes, so sure, a Wonder cameo totally makes sense! Hey, whatever it takes to keep the Pikmin fan in us happy.

Did you spot this cute cameo? Let us know in the comments.

Okay, so the MAR10 Day floodgates have started to open now. A new Luigi-themed Lego set is now available for pre-order on the official store as Nintendo and Lego lift the lid following a brief tease earlier this year.

Mario Kart – Luigi & Mach 8 is priced at £159.99 and is designed to go alongside the existing set starring Mario himself. It contains a total of 2234 pieces and measures in at 10 in. (25 cm) high, 16 in. (41 cm) long and 9 in. (23 cm) wide.

Nintendo has also posted a trailer for the new build on social media to give you a better look at how it will look.

Like the Mario set, this one is geared towards adults only, likely due to the build complexity and small parts included. Pre-orders are limited to three units per person, with a release date currently set for 1st April 2026 to coincide with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Nintendo has also confirmed the release date for Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, with the upcoming platformer launching on 21st May 2026.

Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.

What are your thoughts on this one? Are you tempted to pick one up? Let us know with a comment.

A new survival game has been announced for Steam, with its trailer indicating a potential future launch on the Switch and PS5. Here’s the thing, though… if you thought Palworld took a lot of inspiration from Pokémon, this one takes it to the next level.

Titled Pickmon and developed by PocketGame (strewth, even the dev name is similar to PocketPair!), its overall gameplay appears to have a lot more in common with Palworld than Pokémon, but when you take a closer look at the design of both the protagonist and the collectible creatures, it becomes immediately apparent that PocketGame shot more than a few quick glances at Nintendo’s homework.

Let’s start with the protagonist – do they remind you of anyone? Hopefully you did your best Churchill dog impression and nodded with an enthusiastic “ohh yes!”, because Pickmon’s protagonist is basically Link from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The hair, the clothes… Next thing PocketGame will be telling us is that you start the game awakening from a 100-year slumber. At the very least, it looks like you’ll spend a good deal of time traversing the world via a paraglider.

Then we’ve got the creatures which, much like Palworld before it, look about as close as possible to iconic Pokémon without actually being the exact same. We’ve got a cute little guy with yellow fur and black accents on the ears and tail, a monstrous boss that looks remarkable similar to Ceruledge, and much more.

To cap it all off, a supporting character even does the iconic ‘Akira slide’ on a motorbike. Though to be fair, Samus also did that in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond…

Look, games often take inspiration from one another, but this is just… come on, now. We’re particularly surprised that PocketGame and publisher NETWORKGO seem to have a Switch release in their sights too. Frankly, we’d be surprised if Nintendo doesn’t sue them into oblivion, let alone allow them to release Pickmon on the eShop.

But what do you think, dear reader? Is this all a bit too similar to Nintendo’s own work? Let us know with a comment in the usual place.

The open-world survival game Smalland: Survive the Wilds, which was compared to Grounded when it was originally revealed, will be making its way to the Switch 2 in Spring 2026.

This version promises to include all of the “post-launch updates already released on other platforms” as players step into the role of the “Smallfolk” – a tiny civilization living among the tower grass, insects, and creatures of a vast wilderness.

“In this beautifully realized miniature world, everyday elements of nature become immense landscapes to explore. Players must craft tools, build shelters, tame creatures, and brave the elements as they carve out a place in this dangerous ecosystem, playing solo or cooperatively with friends in multiplayer.”

You’ll be able to experience this world not only by yourself, but also with “up to 9 additional friends” in the multiplayer mode. There are also hidden NPCs throughout the world, which provide you with ancient lore about the wilderness. Here’s what else you can expect, according to the PR:

– Scale skyscraper sized trees, scramble through cavernous cracks in roads, and more as you experience the unique biomes of Smalland’s huge open world.
– Craft powerful armor sets to personalize your appearance, grant you resistance from the elements, abilities and more
– Tame and ride wild creatures from Geckos to Scorpions, the world and its inhabitants are yours to conquer
– Scavenge, refine and craft resources to build your encampment on the ground or in the canopy
– Claim a Great Tree to design and build a base that will follow you to any world
– Uncover ancient lore from hidden NPCs scattered throughout the world as you learn to survive in this hostile wilderness.

Apart from Grounded, this same open-world survival title has drawn comparisons to other games with survival elements such as Valheim and ARK: Survival Evolved.

When we get a release date for this one, we’ll let you know. Would you be interested in playing this game on the Switch 2? Let us know.

Following the launch of Resident Evil Requiem last month, Capcom is now seeking user feedback about this title.

If you want to let Capcom know how you feel, you can participate in its latest survey between now and 26th March 2026. It’s got the usual questions asking about your history with the series, how you found out about the new game, the platform you’re playing it on and much more…

“We’re conducting a user survey for Resident Evil Requiem. Participate to receive a free digital wallpaper as a thank-you gift! We’ll have another survey regarding product details in approximately three months, so keep an eye out.”

There are even options in there about why you bought the new game, questions asking if you’ve completed it yet, what version you got, how many hours you’ve spent on the game so far and what you rate the overall experience. There are also sections where you can type out some responses, detailing what you liked and disliked about the title.

Capcom has included some questions asking about your general gaming habits as well as its existing and upcoming releases. Once you’ve completed the survey, you’ll be rewarded with an “original digital wallpaper” for mobile and PC, which you can see in the sample below.

What do you think of Requiem on the Switch 2 so far? Let us know in the comments.

As part of this year’s MAR10 Day celebrations, Nintendo’s music app for Switch Online subscribers has today added the Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury soundtrack.

This title was released on the Switch in 2021 and more recently received a free Switch 2 update. The album includes 106 tracks in total and has a runtime of 2 hours and 34 minutes.

The composers involved in 3D World include Mahito Yokota, Toru Minegishi, Yasuaki Iwata and Koji Kondo, with Daisuke Matsuoka and James Phillipsen helping out with Bowser’s Fury.

Once again, you’ll need to have an active Switch Online subscription to listen to this album on the Nintendo Music app.

If you haven’t already revisited this two-in-one release on the Switch 2, it contains visual and frame rate optimisations, HDR for Bowser’s Fury, and a few other updates.

What do you think of the latest album to join Nintendo Music? Let us know in the comments.